The Marauders: Class of '77
by chipzixo
Summary: Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. Snippets from their story before, during and after Hogwarts. Follow their roller-coaster ride. From the point of view of all four.
1. Life

**Kay. Idk where this is going, but some stories involving the marauders have been spinning around in my head for agees. So i'm sorry if it doesnt get as much detail as you expected, but some events (like Quidditch) really don't interest me :'). But hey, there'll be a few stories from each year. Oh, and i'm also sorry if some subjects covered in my other fics are repeated here, especially if they don't go the same way :) but i have too many ideas!!**

**Disclaimer; I own nothing in the Potterverse, nothing! How unfortunate.**

_The Marauders; Class of '77.  
Chapter One - Life._

10 year old James Potter ran down the twisting staircase of his family home, jumping the last few steps and leaping into the kitchen, where his parents were waiting. Breakfast smelled particularly good that morning; his mother had made bacon and eggs and their welcoming smell made his tummy flip. His father smiled at him through black-rimmed glasses over the morning Prophet, and James smiled back, taking a place at the table.

"Morning, dear." His mother called from across the room, standing by the cooker. She too smiled warmly at her son, then sighed and walked towards him. Straightening his glasses, she kissed him on the forehead and ruffled his already messy black hair before returning to the other side of the kitchen, chuckling. James had gotten used to his glasses sitting lopsided - they simply refused to stay straight.

Mrs. Potter then returned to the table with a plate, and laid it down in front of her son, who was looking at it hungrily. He looked up at the woman, smiled and said "Thankyou Mum" in a sweet voice, then picked up his knife and fork, and began to eat.

All was well in the Potter household.

* * *

"Don't you _dare _bring my son into this, William!"

Peter Pettigrew listened to the shouting coming from the family kitchen, and pushed his hands harder over his ears. He had no wish to listen to his parent's fighting. He knew things were rough between them - his dad had been with another woman - but he didn't want to hear the proof. He just wanted a family.

"Our son Jane! _Our _son! You can't stop me from seeing him!"

His mother laughed in an unnaturally low voice. "Oh really? Just watch me."

There was silence then. A silence in some ways more painful than the shouting. Then it was broken by a smash.

"Stupid woman! You can't do that!"

His mother didn't reply. No doubt she'd have cuts on her head tomorrow.

Again.

Peter pulled the duvet over his head, wishing it would all stop.

* * *

"For heavens' sake, Sirius. Smarten up, will you? Your cousins are here."

Sirius Black began to absentmindedly play with his hair as he watched his mother walk to his younger brother, then plant a kiss on his forehead before leaving. Sirius tutted under his breath. Regulus was her favourite, he knew that. No need to flaunt it, though.

He was 10, Regulus was 6. His three older cousins were visiting that day - something which Sirius had grown to dread. Narcissa, the youngest, was 15, and had just started her 5th year at Hogwarts. Bellatrix was 16 - a sixth year prefect. Andromeda was the only one Sirius had time for. She was unlike either of her sisters; her hair was blonde like Narcissa, but her eyes were kind and caring. Her face was never without her trademark smile. She was 19, and had left Hogwarts herself, along with her secret boyfriend Ted - whom the rest of the family knew nothing about.

"Hello, dearest Sirius." Bellatrix snickered upon seeing him. He merely rolled his eyes and greeted her. Narcissa remained quiet, her lips pursed. They both moved on to greet Regulus, and Sirius rolled his eyes again. Andromeda greeted him with a full-blown smile, ignoring her younger sisters and his younger brother leaving the room. She crouched to his height and hugged him.

"Ignore them, mate," She whispered, "They're nothing. I like it better now they pretend I don't exist."

Sirius laughed. Andromeda had been practically disowned by the rest of the Blacks upon being sorted into Hufflepuff rather than Slytherin. There was nothing Sirius would have loved more.

"Come on," she said, laughing with him, "Let's have some fun."

She pulled some dungbombs from her pocket and winked. Sirius couldn't help but smile.

The Most Noble and Ancient House of Black wouldn't know what had hit them.

* * *

Remus Lupin opened his eyes in the morning light to see his mother sitting next to him on the grass, holding a jar of the nasty-smelling paste she used to heal his cuts. She turned, and her tired face lit up slightly as she smiled softly at her only son.

"Morning, Remus." She leaned over his body and began to dab at his wounds. Remus sat up and tried to smile. He couldn't. He had nothing to smile for. He hadn't had anything to smile for since he was 6 - when an encounter with one Fenrir Greyback had ruined his foreseeable future. Now, every month he turned into a ravenous, uncontrollable monster.

Remus Lupin was a 10 year old werewolf.

Since then, his mother would take him to the forest every full moon, and then she would return to collect him and see to his self-inflicted wounds. She looked after him, and never turned her back on him. She was saddened just as much as he was by the fact that he would never have a normal life, but she stayed strong for his sake.

His father, on the other hand, had completely turned his back on his son. He spent his time getting constantly and systematically drunk. He never said two words to Remus, and that hurt more than the transformations. His own father didn't even care. His own father had lost all hope.

His mother helped him to his feet and they headed back to their modest country house, into their slightly shabby kitchen. Mr. Lupin had lost his job because of his drinking years ago, and Mrs. Lupin tried to support the family best she could. Sometimes, she lived under the false pretenses that things would get easier once Remus went to Hogwarts; then the realization would hit her like a brick wall and almost knock her off her own feet.

Remus would never go to Hogwarts. Werewolves just weren't accepted.

She watched her son limp to his bedroom and tried to smile.

Then she collapsed into a chair, and cried.


	2. Letters

_The Marauders; Class of '77.  
Chapter Two - Letters._

"Happy Birthday Jamie."

Mrs. Potter kissed her son. He smiled back, his party hat falling behind his glasses and into his eyes. He pushed it up, still smiling, and looked at his dad. He was sitting on the sofa in the lounge, and he too was smiling. He pointed at a large, shiny box in the center of the carpet. If it were possible, James smiled more as he dived for the package and began to ruthlessly tear at the paper. He let out a loud, breathtaking gasp as he saw what was inside.

"A new broom! Thankyou Mum! Thanks Dad!"

He jumped at them both and strangled them in a powerful hug - well, as powerful as any eleven year old could be. This dislodged his glasses even more, and as he pulled away, he found he could only see through one eye. Laughing, his mother straightened them and pushed him off her.

"James, why don't you go and get the post?"

James gasped again. His father was right; he _should _go and get the post. It might be there already. He'd completely forgotten in all of the excitement.

Running so fast he almost fell over, James skidded to a halt at the window in the kitchen, where a black winged figure was approaching. He started to jump with excitement as the owl landed on the window-ledge. Fingers trembling, he untied the letter from it's leg and paid it, then watched it fly away. He opened the envelope and read the letter inside.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_I am pleased to tell you that you have been accepted into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry..._

James dropped the letter.

"Mum! Dad! IT'S HERE!"

* * *

Sirius yawned and rolled over, only to find Regulus staring at him.

"Happy Birthday Sirius. Mum told me to tell you, the post's here."

He eyed his brother carefully, then turned to the clock. It was 12.00. He'd overslept. It was his birthday, and nobody had woken him up.

How thoughtful.

Shooing Regulus from the room, he got up and dressed, then checked his hair in the mirror before going downstairs. He ran, for the first time in years, to the kitchen, where his mother and father were waiting. Sirius was taken aback by what he saw.

Was that _pride _on their faces?

"Good morning, son," his father said, "And Happy Birthday."

"Would you like to read the post?" Sirius walked towards his mother, who was holding a letter. On the side of the letter he could see, there was a red wax stamp. He took the letter and broke it open in trembling hands.

He read through it, a smile spreading on his face. He was in! He was going to Hogwarts! This was the happiest day of his life! He would get away from The Most Noble and Ancient House of Black for over _half of the year!_

His father clapped him on the shoulder. "Another Slytherin for our tree, no doubt."

Sirius dropped the paper. He hadn't thought of that.

* * *

Peter's mother sat in the kitchen, filtering through the post. Peter sat opposite her, eating his special birthday breakfast - pancakes. His father was still in bed.

"Oh, Peter," his mother gasped, "Peter, look!" He stood up to see what she was holding. It was a letter.

"What is it?" he asked, confused. He didn't usually get letters, and the writing on the front looked unfamiliar.

"This," Mrs. Pettigrew said, pulling her son close, "Will change your life forever." She began to open the letter, Peter under her arm. Then she began to read aloud. When he heard 'Hogwarts', Peter almost screamed.

He hadn't shown any sign of magic, not ever, and so his mother and father had just accepted that their son was probably not a wizard. It didn't bother them too much, nor did it bother Peter- magic had never been very prominent in his household anyway. But now, it was confirmed, and he couldn't hold his excitement. His mother couldn't hold her pride.

At this point, Peter's father came staggering into the kitchen, and eyed his family carefully. Seeing the letter in his wife's hands, his face immediately softened. Peter felt relief wash over him as his father came forward and joined in the embrace between him and his mother.

They were a family. Peter had brought them together. And he was a wizard.

He'd never been, and probably never would be, happier.

* * *

Remus sat at the table, eating the home-made birthday cake his mother had cooked especially. He was happy, for the first time in ages. His mother sat opposite him, watching her son eat. She was smiling and gave the occasional chuckle when Remus dropped a piece of cake. For once, they seemed normal.

But, unlike many new eleven year olds, Remus wouldn't have the excitement that Hogwarts letters brought. He had accepted that. People like him didn't go to school. Even if they did read schoolbooks for a hobby.

The doorbell rang and Mrs. Lupin stood up, scraping her chair across the tiled floor. Remus was too interested in his cake to notice who was on the other side of it - he honestly didn't care.

His mother returned looking a bit awestruck. This forced Remus to stop eating.

"Whassuf?" he spat, through a mouthful of cake. Then he saw.

A tall man followed his mother into the kitchen. His silver beard stretched almost to his knees and this was mirrored by long silvery hair falling down his back. He had piercing blue eyes, which sparkled in a fascinating way, hiding behind golden-rimmed half-moon spectacles. Remus recognised him from the chocolate frog cards.

"Professor Dumbledore...sir?" Now he looked as awestuck as his mother.

"Hello Remus," Remus didn't ask how the man knew his name, "I'm here to talk to you and your mother about your options."

"Options?"

"Why yes, of course. Your education options."

Remus felt his stomach sink. He knew he couldn't go. No need to rub it in.

It was as if the old man read his mind. He chuckled, "No, no, you misunderstand me. I am here to offer you a place at my school."

"But Professor, Sir," Remus' mother interjected, "I don't know if you know ... you see, Remus-"

"I am quite aware of Remus'... condition," the old man smiled, "But I believe a child as bright as this young boy would be a waste of a sharp mind if that mind went uneducated." This confused both of the Lupins, "And I also believe, that given the right precautions, Remus would be most welcome at my school."

Now Remus' stomach was in his throat. His mother was welling up with tears, he was speechless.

"What do you say, Mr. Lupin? Would you like that?"

Remus could have hugged the man, but he just nodded slowly. The old man sat down at the table.

"Well then. Let me explain."

---


	3. Hogwarts' Express

**Disclaimer; I don't own anything, no. Keep reviewing guys! Also, yes, some things are direct quotes from JK. I'll put them underlined. I definitely don't own them :')**

_Chapter Three- Hogwart's Express_

Mrs Potter cried as she waved to her son, watching the long scarlet train's steam billowing out of sight.

James, on the other hand, couldn't have been happier.

He sat in an empty compartment, rocking back and forth with excitement. He began to stare out of the window at the landscape - which was becoming progressively greener. Still smiling, he pulled his copy of _Which Broomstick? _from his case, and sat back.

It was then a boy entered. He had shoulder length, black curly hair, which fell effortlessly around his face. James could only ever wish for hair like that. The boy had strangely piercing blue-grey eyes, which surveyed James as he stood in the doorway. He was fairly tall for his age, and was obviously a first year just like James.

"Mind if I sit here?" he asked, pointing to the empty seat opposite James. James smiled and gestured for him to sit down. As the boy sat, he realized they had nothing to say to each other.

"First year?" was all James could think of to say. The boy nodded, then continued to stare out of the window. James sighed. Was a little conversation too much to ask for?

"I'm James Potter, by the way." He held out his hand formally, just like his father had taught him. After a moment of staring, the boy took it and shook it. "Sirius Black." He said, now smiling slightly, "Is that _Which Broomstick?_? I've never read that. It's meant to be good."

James dropped the magazine and raised his hand to his chest in mock offense. "Never read..." he trailed off, then laughed. Sirius giggled too. "Well," said James, still smiling "You'll have to read it when I'm done."

Just as Sirius was about to reply, they were interrupted by the entrance of two more first years - a boy with black, curtain-like hair, and a girl with long, vivid red hair. Without looking at James or Sirius, they sat down and continued with their conversations. James looked to Sirius, who looked at him. He was biting his lip in an attempt not to laugh, and distracted himself by returning to the views. James coughed to hide his laughter, then turned back to his magazine, secretly listening to the newcomers' conversation.

* * *

Sirius had decided he liked the boy opposite him. In the few minutes they had known each other, it was apparent that they had similar senses of humour. And humour, in Sirius' opinion, was what made the world turn.

It was then that he noticed that the ginger girl was crying. She was definitely mopping her eyes. Sirius nudged James with his foot, and discreetly nodded to the couple at the other end of the compartment. James began to glare daggers at the greasy boy, but his voice was cut short as the boy spoke.

"You'd better be in Slytherin," the boy said, smiling. The girl looked quite confused. Sirius' heart sank a little at the mention of his family's house name, but James burst out laughing. Sirius lowered his eyes to stare at his lap; obviously James hated Slytherin just as much as everyone else.

"Slytherin?" he asked, still laughing slightly, "Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"

Sirius had been expecting that. He looked up at James, but did not smile. "My whole family have been in Slytherin." Might as well admit it.

James seemed to ponder this for a moment, but his smile didn't falter. After a minute, he spoke again, his eyes glinting.

"Blimey! And I thought you seemed alright!"

Sirius grinned. James was accepting him for who he was, not judging him on his family. Nobody ever did that.

"Maybe I'll break the tradition," Sirius expressed his deepest hopes to his new-found friend, "Where are you heading, given the chance?"

James lifted an invisible sword, which made Sirius laugh.

"Gryffindor, where the brave dwell at heart. Like my dad."

So James' and Sirius' family were complete opposites. Sirius found himself wondering what it would have been like in James' family, but his attention was caught by the boy sitting next to him. He gave a grunt of disapproval. James was glaring daggers again, having dropped his sword.

"Got a problem with that?"

"No,"sneered the boy, "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy..."

James looked taken aback. Unwittingly, Sirius turned on the boy. James was the only friend he was likely to have - no way would he talk to any of the snakes - and so he retorted within a second.

"Where are you going, seeing as you're neither?"

This made James laugh. Sirius grinned. The girl looked from him to James, glaring with equal dislike.

"Come on Severus, let's find another compartment."

Both boys let out a mocking "Ooooo.." as the girl and boy turned to leave. Sirius was contemplating the boy's name. Severus. It was weird - not that he had any right to comment.

James, on the other hand, obviously felt he had every right to comment. "See ya, Snivellus!" he called, as the compartment door slammed shut. Sirius found himself laughing again. He hadn't laughed that much in years.

He had a feeling him and James Potter would remain friends, at least for a while.

Their laughter and re-enactments of the scene were cut short, as the compartment door slid open once again. A tawny-haired boy stood there, and his eyes looked up to James and Sirius as he heard the laughing. They were green, but had hazel tinges in them. His mouth opened and closed as he searched for something to say.

He settled on "I'm sorry... I thought this compartment was empty."

* * *

Remus found himself wishing that the ground would swallow him up there and then, that he hadn't ever gotten on the train in the first place. He was nervous enough already, he didn't need the added complication of two - obviously confident - boys asking questions. The idea of trying to make friends made his throat dry up. He had just seen the occupants of this compartment leave, but apparently it wasn't completely empty.

He began to turn away from the boys, who had stopped laughing and were now wiping their eyes. But as he did, the one on his right spoke. He had long, black, curly hair.

"You don't have to leave, you know."

_Yes, I do_, thought Remus, but he found himself rooted to the spot. All replies disappeared from his head, and once again he stood there, dumbstruck.

"Are you a first year too?" the other boy asked. He wore circular, black rimmed glasses, and his eyes were a shade of hazel. Remus nodded, then the other boy spoke again.

"I'm Sirius, and he's James. What's your name?"

"...Remus." he stammered, his throat still dried up.

"Well, Remus, come and sit down!" James patted the seat beside him, "Us first years, we've got to stick together."

_Did he just wink? _

Sirius was laughing again. "The funniest thing just happened, Remus..." He proceeded to tell Remus all about an event concerning a moody girl and a boy called 'Snivellus', which had occurred earlier. He had to admit, it was quite funny. He was just too nervous to laugh along with the others.

"Come on, Remus! Crack a smile!" James said, between outbursts of laughter. Infact, he laughed so much, he fell to the floor.

That made Remus laugh.

"Yes!" cried Sirius, "You laughed! Now you're over your nerves, we know you've got a sense of humour!"

James, climbing back to his seat, punched Remus playfully on the shoulder.

"Welcome to the gang, mate."

Remus stopped laughing abruptly. Gang? That meant... that meant these people actually wanted to be his friends! He grinned, wider than ever before. _He had friends!_

He was so overcome with emotion to even think of his 'situation', and continued to laugh with James and Sirius all the way to Hogwarts.

He didn't think he'd ever been so happy.

---

**A/N; Yeah, I know Peter never got a bit. He'll be in the next chapter ! :') I didn't think he should meet the guys on the train, regardless of whether he actually did :D **

**Go review! THANKYOU ! xx 3**


	4. The Sorting Hat

_Chapter Four- The Sorting Hat._

Sirius had been separated from his new friends, and sent right to the front of the queue. Of course, there was more than one disadvantage of having the name Black, it also meant you were first for _everything. _It was a damn shame nobody had a second name beginning with 'A'- that was what Sirius had been praying for. Now he was actually _first._

This thought made him shake more. Everyone would be staring, knowing where he was going to end up. Everyone would hate him from the first time they set eyes on him.

_Joy._

* * *

James wasn't nervous. He knew he'd end up in Gryffindor; his family had been there for centuries. He was, however, worried for Sirius. He didn't think he deserved to be in Slytherin, he seemed nice enough. He had everything crossed that his friend could join him in Gryffindor, despite the miniscule chance of that actually happening.

The boy next to James also seemed incredibly nervous. He was shaking from head to toe, and frequently mopped his fairly pink brow with the back of his hand. He was muttering under his breath.

"Are you alright?" James was actually concerned for the boy- he looked quite ill.

Watery blue eyes snapped up in shock to meet the glare of James' hazel ones. His eyebrows pulled together as he nodded hastily, before returning to his muttering.

"I'm James, by the way," James was trying to make eye contact again, "James Potter."

The boy looked up again, but he didn't smile. "P-peter P-pettigrew." He stammered, not taking James' hand.

* * *

Peter didn't think he'd ever been more nervous in his life, nor did he think he would be this nervous again. The butterflies in his tummy seemed to flap their wings so violently that his whole body shook, and sweat poured from his forehead. Needless to say, this was not helped by a young boy named James Potter asking questions. Couldn't he see he was nervous?

Nonetheless, Peter attempted to introduce himself politely, and engaged in some broken small-talk to fill the time. The wait seemed to last an eternity, but talking to James did seem to make it go quicker.

_Hey,_ he thought, _You might even make your first friend._

_

* * *

_Realization hit Remus like a brick wall. And it hurt. It tugged at his insides and made his heart scream in his chest. He had just remembered he was a werewolf- the ignorant, forgetful bliss had abruptly come to an end.

Of course, when they knew, James and Sirius wouldn't want to know him. If they decided they still wanted to know him anyway - god only knew what house he would end up in. Then another, panicked thought entered Remus' spinning head. He tried to push it away, but it wouldn't shift.

What if the hat saw what he was, and wouldn't sort him? What if he didn't end up in a house at all- if his Hogwarts dream ended before it had even begun?

He was still thinking this as his trembling legs stiffly carried him into the bright, cheery Great Hall.

Exactly the opposite of how Remus felt.

* * *

"Black, Sirius."

Sirius swore he heard his cousin groan as he made his way to the chair. He dared not meet anyone's eyes, he kept them fixed firmly on his feet. Feeling for the seat, he sat down on the -slightly unstable- wooden chair, and Professor McGonagall put the hat on his head. It slid right over his eyes.

_Another Black, hey? _So even the sorting hat was judging him. Great.

_No, I'm not judging you. _What? This thing could speak?

_You seem different to the others. To your cousins. More like Andromeda than anyone else... "_Yeah, that's cause the others are evil." he muttered under his breath.

The hat laughed._ Well then, you don't seem very evil. It had better be... _Sirius held his breath as he considered the hat's last words.

**GRYFFINDOR!**

Sirius nearly fell off the chair. A muffled 'WHAT?!' made it's way through the cheering from the direction of the Slytherin table. Sirius couldn't hide his smile as he staggered to his new house table. He felt numb. He wasn't in Slytherin, he was in G_ryffindor. _The exact opposite of everything he hated. What was it that James had said?

Where the brave dwell at heart.

* * *

James was happy for Sirius, he really was, but the nerves had begun to set in. Everyone was staring. Everyone. He barely noticed any of the other sortings, but managed a smug chuckle as the red-head from the train - "Evans, Lily" -was indeed sorted into Gryffindor, much to the dismay of her greasy-haired companion.

"Potter, James."

It was his turn already?

He tried to walk confidently to the chair, glancing over to the Gryffindor table. He saw Sirius smiling up at him, sitting next to the redheaded Lily Evans. He hadn't noticed on the train, but her eyes were just so _green. _He could see them all the way from his seat.

_Haha. Got your eye on a girl already, have you? _James snapped back into focus as he noticed the black hat on his head. No, he thought, I haven't. He was blushing.

_No problem, you can go to her now. I know where you go..._

**GRYFFINDOR! **

James sighed with relief and made his way over to a loudly cheering Sirius, and a half-heartedly applauding Lily Evans. He didn't fancy her though.

Honest.

* * *

James had just seemed so... confident. Peter was already wishing he was more like his new friend, wondering how he managed to act so calm.

"Pettigrew, Peter."

He almost tripped over his own feet as he made his way to the chair, earning a snigger or two from the Slytherin table. They, in turn, earned a stiff glance from Professor McGonagall. He was already scared of her.

_Don't be, she's a pussycat really. _The hat on his head (which he had no recollection of being put there) laughed softly at a joke which Peter really didn't understand. This was followed by a long silence.

Hesitantly, he looked over to James. He was smiling up at him. He wanted to be in Gryffindor, like him.

_Well then, _sighed the hat, _you seem pretty loyal, but not very brave... friendly though, kind. _I'm Brave!

_Ha, ha. Well, if you say so, go and join your friends..._

**GRYFFINDOR!**

Thank heavens for that. Peter took a seat next to James, and was introduced to another boy, Sirius Black. He seemed lively and confident just like James, and was constantly making jokes.

Peter liked it at the Gryffindor table.

* * *

"Lupin, Remus."

No hiding now. Remus made his way to the stool, carefully watching his own feet. As he sat down, he saw a smiling James and Sirius before the hat slid down, obscuring his vision. That was probably the last time they'd ever smile at _him. _

_Why's that? _The hat spoke to him, in his head. Remus wasn't surprised- he'd read that the hat could read your mind in Hogwarts- A History.

_Oh, I've been waiting to meet you. The werewolf, yes. _Remus winced at the word. _But you've read Hogwarts- A History? Not many people do... _The hat hummed in a low pitch, _Well then, your intelligence would put you in Ravenclaw..._

Wait. Was he being sorted? He was still going to Hogwarts?

_But then again, _the hat paid no attention, _you are so brave. Yes, Remus, brave. None of the people I've seen so far could go through what you do every month and come out of it sane. Believe in yourself._

**GRYFFINDOR!**

Remus couldn't hide the smile. He practically ran over to sit by James and Sirius, and their new friend Peter Pettigrew. A smiling redhead greeted him from across the table. He was actually sitting at Hogwarts. He was a werewolf! And he was at HOGWARTS!

Surely, Sirius and James didn't need to know yet?

He'd tell them one day, but right now he just wanted to enjoy having friends.

**A/N; Don't get me wrong, Remus is my favourite character! haha, I just made him a bit spineless in this chapter. He'll develop, PROMISE! :D**

**REVIEW! please? :)**


	5. Dormitories

_Chapter Five- Dormitories._

The four boys all followed the sixth year prefect to the Gryffindor common room. He showed them the fat lady, and how to get in you had to say a password.

Peter could already tell he would have problems with that.

He followed the rest of his fellow Gryffindors inside, and found himself amongst a wave of gasps and 'ooh's. It really was magnificent. All adorned in red and gold, stone lions sat either side of the portrait hole, scowling at the occupants of the room. Several comfy-looking armchairs and couches were littered around the place, some accompanied by small wooden tables or desks. In the center of the right wall sat a great cracking fire, it's flames licking at the sides of it's prison.

Peter was too busy gawping to notice anything the prefect said, and unfortunately only zoned back into the room when he told all of the first years they could go. He stood, rooted to the spot, as all of the children stampeded past him. Thankfully, he spotted a yelling Sirius Black beckoning him closer, pointing to a running James Potter, already halfway up the stone steps.

He ran, tripping slightly, over to his new friend.

* * *

Jeez. This boy was the definition of 'dozy'.

Sirius stood, trying to get Peter's attention. James and Remus were surely already up the stairs- and they all had to end up in the same dormitory. Sirius had decided that as he left the hall. He'd told the others the plan, but apparently Peter and his dozy nature just wasn't paying attention.

He laughed as the slightly large boy came toddling over to him.

"Come on, Pete!" he yelled, "We need to get our room!"

The pair headed up the stairs. They seemed to twist skywards forever, and the boys were panting as they reached the top. The first thing they saw was a smiling James Potter standing infront of large wooden door. He was bouncing slightly with the excitement. Laughing again, Sirius made his way over, and pushed his new friend through the door.

Inside was a dimly lit room, adorned in all red. Remus sat in the corner, on one of the towering four poster beds, surrounded in a scarlet curtain. He, too, was smiling, albeit not as enthusiastically as the black-haired boys. Sirius dived on the bed next to Remus, successfully messing up the sheets and almost tearing down the curtains.

"Oops."

The boys laughed.

* * *

James had to admit, his new friend was mad. He could already tell.

Sirius sat, giggling and reddening, amongst a mess of crumpled sheets - which, five minutes previously, had been in pristine condition. Following the lead, James dived on the bed opposite. It didn't have quite the effect Sirius' leap did, but it still earned a laugh from the other boys in the room. And succeeded in knocking James' glasses to the floor, rendering him practically blind. He gingerly climbed down from the bed, stepping carefully.

Apparently, however, not careful enough.

James heard the crack, but obviously couldn't see it. Looking down, he could just make out a fuzzy black shape on the floor. Or rather, two fuzzy black shapes. His glasses had split into two. He swore loudly, thankful his mother couldn't hear him.

This didn't earn a laugh from the others. Except Sirius, who as James had established, was barking mad. He roared with laughter alone, stuttering between laughs "What are you gonna do?"

James didn't find it funny, and threw a poorly-aimed pillow at Sirius. He couldn't see, after all.

"I don't suppose any of you can fix this?" He said, all too hopefully.

"Uh..." Remus spoke quietly, "I think... I think I can..."

James looked in the general direction of Remus. The boy was truly a godsend.

* * *

Remus had read all about repairing charms, ever since he got his first book. And that was a fair while ago.

He picked up his wand, which still felt uncomfortable in his hand, and headed to where James was kneeling, mourning his broken spectacles. He picked up the pieces, then put them on the bed. He knew the spell, it was just whether it worked.

_Think positive, _he told himself, _it can't be that hard._

"Reparo."

"Woaaaaah! The boy's a genius!"

He found himself in a headlock, courtesy of Sirius. It had worked. The broken ends had jumped together, successfully glueing back together. Remus smiled. His first ever spell had worked. He squirmed his way out of Sirius' grasp, still smiling, and hit him playfully on the shoulder. Looking up, he saw a slightly bemused James gingerly replacing his glasses, as if they might break again. Remus prayed they didn't.

Now that James could see again, he looked directly at Remus and grinned. He held his arms wide and advanced for a hug, whilst Remus backed away to the opposite wall, laughing. He ducked under James' arms, but Sirius was waiting, and the three of them found themselves in a group embrace, Remus squirming in the middle.

He really liked his new friends.

* * *

Peter looked on, wishing he could have been part of that hug. He had already established that James and Sirius were special- he already found himself wishing to be more like them. But so far, he had found Remus a bit of an outcast, just like him- not as confident as the other boys. But here he was, showing off his genius, proving he was part of the gang. Peter needed to do that.

He took the bed next to James and sat down. That left one spare.

"Well, this was unplanned for." Sirius sat opposite him at the foot of Remus' bed, considering his own to be too messy for his occupation. He sat, chin in hands, thinking. "How do we stop another guy from coming in?"

Whilst the boys were still pondering, another boy came to the door. He was quite short and slightly rounded, but his face was smiley and kind. He spoke, trying to hide the tremble in his voice.

"Is there a free bed in here?"

Sirius burst out laughing. Again.

Remus sat at the top of his bed, and kicked Sirius with his toes.

Peter made some unconvincing 'uhhh' noises, which made Sirius laugh more.

James, on the other hand, had taken complete control.

"Sorry, uh, what was your name?"

"Frank. Frank Longbottom."

"Well, Frankie, you see, there _is _a free bed in here as you can see, but we have just found out that our new friend Sirius," Sirius waved, "has a tendency to swap beds in the middle of the night. So that free one next to his is for him. But, if you don't mind sharing your bed with this boy most nights, you're most welcome to it." James smiled sweetly. Sirius snorted, Peter bit his lip. Remus just shook his head.

"Erm, it's okay..." Frank started to back away, "I'll see if any other..." the end of his sentence was lost as he left the room. There was a pause, then the occupants of the dormitory erupted into more belly-aching laughter.

Peter liked his new friends. He liked the way they all had different qualities- Remus, the genius, James, the confident one, and Sirius... well he was just Sirius. In the short time they had known each other, the boys had formed a friendship.

_And this friendship, _Peter thought, _Is going to last. _

He could just tell these things.


	6. Bad Moods

**Right. Okay. As I explained earlier on, and in the summary, this is 'snippets' from the Marauder story. Requests welcome, if you have any. But for now, we're skipping a bit. Let's just say their first week or so went smoothly; they're not the marauders yet, remember? We skip to 12th September, 1971. Mostly in the perspective of Remus... you'll see why.**

_Chapter Six - Bad Moods_

12th September, 1971.

The day had gone mostly smoothly. There hadn't been much homework, either, which was always a bonus. The newly formed quartet of first-year boys had gone about their daily business as per usual: paying as much attention in class as was deemed necessary, eating pile upon pile of delicious food at breakfast and lunch, all whilst making good conversation and the odd joke on the way.

Their last class, however, was potions. This, James soon realized, was enough to dampen anyone's mood. But not as much as Remus' mood seemed to have declined. He sat, staring at the floor, looking beyond depressed.

Just as James was about to question his friend, more students came piling into the classroom. He was only interested in two.

The boy from the train was actually called Severus (or Snivellus, as Sirius had so kindly nicknamed him) Snape, and had been sorted into Slytherin. This class happened to be with the Slytherins, and so he swanned into the room, clutching his books to his chest, smiling at something his friend had said.

That friend, was namely one Lily Evans - a fellow Gryffindor, and the girl from the train. She too, was smiling, revealing rows of pearly-white teeth behind her rose-pink lips. She too, was clutching her books to her chest, but not with desperation as Snape did. She did it with ease. She put the books down on a desk on the other side of the room and brushed down her robes. Not that they needed brushing down, of course. Flicking her hair over her shoulder, she waved goodbye to Snape, who took a seat on a desk near to James. Her hair was a wonderful dark shade of red, and reached past her shoulders, clipped back around her face so that it didn't fall forwards, obscuring her face. And her eyes. The most vivid, colourful, emerald-green eyes James had ever seen, which sparkled even from the opposite side of-

"JAMES!"

He snapped back into consciousness to catch one Sirius Black roaring with laughter, Peter giggling at his side. Remus did not laugh; he barely seemed to notice the conversation.

"We've been trying to get your attention for _ages_, mate!" Sirius said, "I can't even remember what I was going to say now!" He laughed again, "What were you looking at?"

"Noon- I mean, nothing." Sirius laughed again, half-heartedly.

"Whatever, mate. You already got your eye on some girl?"

James blushed. He did _not _fancy Lily Evans. He just didn't. He hadn't even spoken to her yet.

Deciding to change the subject, James turned to Remus, who now had his head on the desk.

"Uh, Remus? Are you alright, mate?"

* * *

Remus had never felt less 'alright' in his life. He raised his heavy head to look at James, who looked genuinely concerned. Not feeling up to answering, he let his head fall back into his arms.

"Seriously, are you okay?"

This was Sirius. Knowing that they wouldn't give up, Remus blamed his mood on some minor illness - a headache of some kind - then returned to his desk.

_This is last lesson, _he kept telling himself, _it will all be over soon enough._

'It' was the very thing that had caused his overwhelming depression and uncharacteristically short fuse. He had no time to amuse his friends today. He didn't feel up to it. He just wanted to sleep.

That night was the first full moon since Remus had been at Hogwarts. His 'problem' had lingered over him since his arrival, but he had just pushed to the back of his mind to reside with it's creation and counterpart - the wolf himself. But today, it just wouldn't go away. It hung over him like a rain cloud, refusing to leave him alone in the last happy hours with his friends, reminding him that he could be the cause of any one of their deaths tonight. Or worse.

Then, there was the problem of actually getting away from James, Sirius and Peter. He had woven some story about his mother being ill, but hadn't found the right moment to tell them. He had actually considered just slipping away later on, but he knew they would notice. In the short time they had known each other, James and Sirius had shown themselves to be very attentive. Peter, not so much, but not even he would miss the absence of his friend for a night and day.

His worries were interrupted by Professor Slughorn - the potions teacher - looming over him.

"Lupin? Would you care to pay attention, please?"

Remus looked up wearily. No way did he want to listen to this old fool telling him what to do. Not now. The teacher had to have known - all of the staff did - but still he insisted on Remus 'paying attention' to his dreary lesson.

"Sorry, Sir," Remus said quietly, head still lowered, but looking at Slughorn, "I'm just not feeling... quite myself. I shall try to pay more attention."

He chose his words carefully, ensuring the Professor understood their meaning. He did, as he immediately stepped backwards and headed back to his desk, stuttering his next sentence.

Remus returned to his thoughts.

* * *

There was definitely something up with Remus.

Not that Sirius knew what, but he knew there was something up.

They headed out of Potions, talking quietly. In a silence, James nodded to Remus, who was more walking, than shuffling, concentrating on his feet. Sirius took this as his cue.

"Remus... what's wrong?"

Before the boy could answer, Professor McGonagall appeared from nowhere.

"Lupin? I'd like a word, please."

Remus shuffled off to her, offering a small nod of acknowledgement to his friends.

"What is _up _with that boy?"

"Merlin knows," James replied, looking in the direction Remus had gone, "He'll be alright tomorrow. Let's hope."

They headed back to the common room. Remus would have to catch up.

* * *

The boy returned around ten minutes after the trio, still looking tired.

Very tired.

Unusually tired to James, as he pondered the fact that he had never seen anybody quite as tired as this before.

"Hey mate," he said cheerily, "What did McGonagall want?"

Remus looked up. Dark purple shadows hung under his eyes.

"I have to go away for a day or so," he said quietly.

"What?" Sirius was now paying attention, "Why?"

"My mum's ill." Remus said quickly, avoiding anyone's eyes. The subject obviously made him uncomfortable.

_Of course it does, _thought James, _his poor mother's ill. That's probably why he's been in such a bad mood._

"Oh," Peter said, breaking the silence, "Is she... is she okay?"

Remus was still looking at his feet. "She will be, I hope. But I have to go and see her... I'm leaving at half six."

The other three boys nodded, then looked to the clock. It was 6 o'clock.

* * *

It made Remus a little more than uncomfortable to lie to his friends. But nonetheless, he bid them goodbye at half-past six and headed down to the main entrance, where Madam Pomfrey would be waiting. It had all been explained countless times to him by countless people - he had to meet her there, head over to the Whomping Willow with her, she would still it, then he'd go inside. She would pick him up tomorrow morning, and more than likely he would have to spend the day in the hospital wing. But no matter how many times it was explained, it didn't make it any easier. No matter how many people told him they understood, Remus knew that they really didn't. How could they? They didn't turn into monsters once a month. They had no clue what it felt like to walk on four legs, or to crave the taste of humans so much that you need to be locked away from anyone in reach. Of course they couldn't understand.

"Hello, Remus."

Madam Pomfrey smiled weakly. She couldn't have been as terrified as Remus, but she looked a little frightened nonetheless.

"Hi, Madam Pomfrey."

"Shall we head outside?"

Remus nodded, and they stepped out into the cold September night. The crisp air flooded up Remus' nose, clearing his mind. He felt calm again. His routine had to continue. This was just another full moon.

They headed across the darkened lawn in silence, as the light above them began to gradually fade. Remus saw Madam Pomfrey shiver out of the corner of his eye. He couldn't help but smile. The woman must have been terrified; she was walking next to a werewolf as the full moon rose. Not a great idea.

They reached the willow and Madam Pomfrey prodded a knot on the trunk with a stick. The branches ceased their thrashing and fell limp on the ground. She turned to Remus.

"I don't know what to say," She sighed, "Good luck, I suppose."

Remus couldn't stop a soft laugh escaping. "You don't have to say anything, miss," he told her, then crouched down to get into the tunnel at the base of the tree. He took a step forward, leaving Hogwarts behind.

Inside, it was dark. Remus couldn't see, so he ran his fingers along the edges of the walls either side of him. It crumbled slightly at his touch, and fell to the floor quietly. He reached the end, and a room lay infront of him. It was shabby and one of the windows was boarded up; nobody had bothered to decorate it, obviously. A chair sat in the corner, however, and Remus sat on it after climbing out of the hole.

Slowly, the moonlight crept in. Remus shivered, and stood up. He didn't want to wreck the chair - he wanted to keep it for as long as possible, anyway. Once the room was bathed in silvery light, he snapped.

She shook violently, and his neck was jolted into an uncomfortable and unnatural position. He wailed at the top of his lungs as the most unthinkable pain pulsated across his whole body. He screamed each and every time a bone cracked, when a sickening snapping noise filled the shack. His face grew, his legs shortened, and his spine shivered as the transformation completed itself.

He saw the moon through the window, winking down at him, through his new amber eyes. He howled painfully, the noise echoing across the moonlit streets below.

And Remus Lupin was pushed to the back of his own mind, as the contained wolf broke free for his monthly outings.


	7. Family

**WOW! Sorry I haven't updated this one in ageeeeeeeeees. But here it is - Chapter 7! You see, I was gonna change it all around but then I liked it this way and I thought, so what if some of the stories in here are repeated as one shots?! Mhm. I'm focussing this one mainly on the connections, you know? The family lives and how they affect our lovely Marauders. I like the way I can make them grow up and bring back things I've already mentioned :) Anyway, moving on - **

_Chapter Seven - Family._

Sirius yawned. Hogwarts was just so _tiring_. He'd never heard any stories from his family about it being this tiring.

Well, when he thought about it, he'd never heard any stories from his family at all.

"Morning, mate."

Remus sat up opposite Sirius, cross legged on his bed, reading. Sirius rubbed his eyes.

"Why are you up so early?"

The boy shrugged. "Couldn't sleep."

Sirius' eyes fell to his bed. No doubt Remus was thinking about his mother - even Sirius had to admit he would be if she was that sick. He sat, dark shadows hanging beneath his eyes, his frail frame illuminated in the breaking sunlight. Remus hadn't told the other boys what was wrong with his mother, but they didn't press the issue.

It was now 4 weeks since Remus had visited his mother, and Sirius had to admit that the boy had been putting on a very brave face in light of the situation. Upon first returning to Hogwarts a day or so after his departure, he had been a little shaky - as to be expected - but since then, he had seemed fine. Again, the other three boys inhabiting the dormitory had thought this to be a little strange, but they thought it best not to press it, going about their daily business instead.

"How long have you been up, then?"

Remus looked up through his eyelashes, peering over his book momentarily before placing it aside and shrugging again. "Not long. Half an hour or so."

Sirius' eyebrows pulled together ever so slightly. "And you never woke me up?"

Remus narrowed his eyes a little before shaking his head. Sirius smiled. "As far as I'm concerned, when I'm up, everyone's up."

And with that, he leapt from his bed ever so elegantly, before winking at Remus and heading to the bathroom.

* * *

James Potter was happy.

Granted, he was dreaming - but that didn't mean he couldn't be happy.

He was flying at least forty feet above Hogwarts, in flowing red robes, the newest model of the Nimbus grasped in his left hand as he waved to his adoring fans with his right. And they were adoring. They cheered and chanted his name after he performed a particularly impressive goal, waving bright red banners embroided with his name and singing "Go Go Gryffindor!" at the top of their voices. James scanned the crowd, pausing to look at each and every smiling face. Suddenly a strong buzzing filled his ears. He waved his free arm around the side of his head in an attempt to clear it, but something caught his eye which made his hand fall. There was a girl in the crowd. She was smiling wider than the rest, waving straight to him. A girl with blazing red hair and vivid green eyes. She opened her mouth, and James listened intently as she cried:

"Wakey wakey! Rise and shine!"

He smiled softly. A smile which was quickly wiped off his face as he found himself soaking wet. James didn't remember Quidditch ever being so cold, or wet. He could have sworn it wasn't raining.

"Jaaamiiie!" Someone sang. And it definitely wasn't Lily. His eyes snapped open to see a fuzzy outline of a boy crouching over him, holding an empty bucket, a mad smile on his face and his hair falling about it giving him the look of some maddened demon.

At first, James was scared as he nervously reached out for his glasses on the bedside table. Then he was just plain angry.

He pushed himself up fiercely with his hands, and Sirius scampered away until he stood at the end of James' bed, biting his lip in an attempt not to laugh. Behind him, Remus Lupin was making no effort to contain his sniggering, and next to him sat a defeated-looking Peter Pettigrew hanging his head and dripping wet.

James did a quick double take as he regarded Peter, but soon turned his attention next to the boy at the foot of his bed - who currently looked as if he would explode if he didn't laugh soon. James shook his head and flared his nostrils angrily, going through what he was going to shout at Sirius in his head. However, as James opened his mouth, water fell out.

This time, Sirius couldn't control it. He burst into laughter so hard he backed into Remus' bed. James was not amused, but he just frowned.

"You sleep with your mouth open, mate." Remus explained quietly, biting his lip. James' gaze drifted to him, before resting on the dripping boy on the remaining occupied bed. He only frowned more, but this time Remus offered no explanation. James waited for Sirius' laughter to die before speaking, never peeling his eyes away from Peter.

"What I don't get," he began, "is how I didn't hear Peter scream."

James turned to face Sirius - the obvious culprit of the crime plastered across the dormitory. The boy flicked his hair from his eyes, before raising one, thin eyebrow and smiling thinly. The expression made James more than a little scared.

"Old family trick," he said, quietly, before turning to Remus, "see?" he continued, a smug smile on his face, "Told you he wouldn't hear a thing."

Remus shook his head. "How?"

Sirius withdrew his wand from his pocket, and aimed it at Remus. The boy looked up to his friend, one eyebrow raised, a quizzical look in his eyes. Sirius still smiled, before uttering "muffilato."

* * *

It was scary. Like a bug stuck in his ear. He didn't like it. Not one bit.

He waved his hands like a madman across his ears trying to get rid of the noise. As he opened his screwed up eyes, he saw Sirius infront of him, silently rocking with laughter. Normally, he would have laughed it off. He didn't have it in him today. It was full moon that night. Granted, it wasn't that bad yet - but he could feel the weariness, the short fuse, the general anger coming. He looked up to Sirius through his eyelashes with more venom than he would have liked; this was proved when his friend abruptly stopped laughing and immediately lifted the curse from his friend.

"Not in a joking mood, then."

Remus bit his lip. "Sorry. But that buzzing noise was _horrible._"

. broke into a smile, but James' frown deepened.

"Buzzing?" he asked, to noone in particular. Remus nodded anyway.

Suddenly, James' eyes snapped up, his eyebrows lifting. "There was buzzing in my dream!"

Sirius' smile widened. "That may have been me."

Remus was waiting for James' temper to snap. He was already aware of his friend's short fuse, thanks to the fact that earlier that week the first years had been informed they weren't allowed to be on the Quidditch team, even after James had turned up to his first flying lesson in makeshift Gryffindor robes, his shiny new broom stick polished and pristine.

Needless to say, it wasn't a pretty sight. Remus was surprised that James' precious broom had even survived.

However, his attention was brought back to the dormitory when James did not explode with anger, but rather with laughter. This time, it was Remus who frowned, as Sirius went in for a high five which James happily returned.

"That's awesome!" the soaked boy cried through his laughter, the other grinning boy unsure whether to believe that his friend wasn't angry. As James' laughter died, after he had wiped his eyes, he continued. "Where did you learn that?"

Sirius shrugged. "I have this cousin - Andromeda, her name is. She's a bit awesome. Only member of my family I've got any time for, anyway..."

"Well, you can tell her that her spell is fantastic!"

Remus looked to Peter, who was obviously thinking the same thing as he.

* * *

_Thank the lord for that, _he thought, glancing to the ceiling and then to Remus before watching James slap Sirius on the back and head to the bathroom, still giggling. He was thankful, of course, for the skillful way in which James had diffused the situation when Sirius had mentioned his family. It was always awkward when Sirius mentioned them - it was clear from the way he described them that he didn't like them much, and that they returned the feeling. And, Sirius had made the other boys aware that his family were not going to be best pleased about the fact that Sirius was now a Gryffindor, and not in his family;s house of Slytherin. Thankfully, Sirius' older cousin's hadn't bothered them yet, but Peter, Remus and James were all dreading the day that they did. In all the time they had been at Hogwarts - which was a fair while - Sirius had never received a letter from his family, whereas the other three boys had received plenty. Even Peter's mother and father had written to him.

The very thought of his family made Peter smile internally as a warm glow spread through his body. _He _had brought them together. They hadn't fought once since he'd got his acceptance letter. He remained in his dream-like state, imagining his happy family at home until tears began to well up in his eyes.

"Peter? Pete! Are you okay?"

Peter blinked the tears away furiously, hoping that James hadn't noticed them. He tried to look as if he were paying attention, but it was obvious that he had just snapped out of a daydream as his misty eyes focussed and he mumbled a stuttered "what?"

James giggled a little. "The bathroom's free, mate."

Peter shook his head vigorously and smiled weakly, spinning around off his bed and standing upright. Still blushing, he headed for the now empty bathroom.

And walked into the wall.

* * *

"Come _on, _mate! I'm _starving!_"

Despite the fact that Sirius was up before everybody else, he was the last out of the dormitory. And despite the fact that it was full moon that night, it wasn't Remus who had lost his temper, but James. Remus smiled internally at that.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming." Sirius shut the dormitory door behind him and flicked his hair from his eyes, "I was just fixing my hair."

Remus sighed. Peter rolled his eyes. James snorted. "You are such a girl."

Sirius narrowed his eyes at him. "Just because you could never get yours to look as good as mine. You look as if you've just got off your broomstick."

James smiled. "I like it that way."

Sirius frowned deeply as they scrambled through the portrait-hole. "You can't be serious."

Remus giggled. "No, mate, you're Sirius."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "How original."

Remus just smiled.

Sirius was still questioning James about his hair-habits when they reached the Great Hall, only stopping once food was put infront of him. Remus couldn't help but laugh at that.

"Whassofubby?" Sirius spat, a mouth full of food.

James and Peter joined in with the sniggering. "You only shut up when your faced with food."

Sirius shrugged. "I'm hungry."

At this point, dozens of owls invaded the hall. They flew up the tables, dropping parcels and letters at their destinations before flying away again. A couple reached the Gryffindor first years and dropped their loads. A few girls got a letter, and Lily Evans received a parcel. The most surprising thing, however, was the bright red envelope which was now twitching amongst Sirius' breakfast. He stared at it with wide eyes.

"That's a Howler, mate." Peter informed him, never taking his eyes from the letter. Sirius looked up to him, eyes narrowing, head cocked to one side.

"No way."

"Just saying."

"You'd better open it." James said, "I think they explode."

Sirius looked to the boy next to him and gulped, before taking the letter in shaking hands. All of the students in the near vicinity were now watching, as Sirius tentatively lifted the flap on the envelope.

All at once, the letter jumped to life, screaming across the hall.

_SIRIUS BLACK, _it yelled, straight into Sirius' face, _YOU HAVE BROUGHT SHAME UPON OUR FAMILY. HOW DARE YOU TAKE YOUR PLACE AMONGST THE VERY THING WE FIGHT AGAINST! YOU ARE SCUM, BOY, AS THE REST OF YOUR HOUSE IS! YOU KNOW AS WELL AS WE DO THAT YOU DO NOT BELONG WITH THOSE MUGGLE LOVERS. YOUR NOBLE COUSIN BELLATRIX HAS INFORMED US OF YOUR LITTLE GANG, DON'T YOU WORRY ABOUT THAT. YOU'RE FRIENDS WITH SCUM, SIRIUS! BLOOD-TRAITORS AND GRYFFINDORS - THE LUPINS AND PETTIGREWS AREN'T EVEN PUREBLOODS! YOU HAD BETTER SORT YOURSELF OUT, YOUNG MAN. GET YOUR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT. WHAT KIND OF AN EXAMPLE IS THIS TO REGULUS? TAKE A LEAF FROM YOUR COUSIN'S BOOK. AND I MOST CERTAINLY DO NOT MEAN THAT TRAITOR ANDROMEDA!_

And with that, the letter burst into flames, leaving a shocked and teary-eyed Sirius sitting at the breakfast table. Before anybody in the now silent hall could speak, he picked up his things and headed for the door in the silence. His friends watched, speechless, before looking to each other.

It was as if they had had a silent conversation, but Remus knew exactly what those looks meant.

Simultaneously, they gathered their things and left the hall, heading to wherever Sirius was.

* * *

How could they do this to him?

The one time in his life he was truly happy - the one chance he had to escape! And they were ruining it!

Sirius threw his schoolbag to the floor before he even reached the Potions classroom. He had planned to get to his first lesson early - he didn't need all of those eyes on him. Instead, however, he slid down the wall he was leaning against before crouching into a ball and holding his head in his hands. He wasn't going to cry. Boys didn't cry.

But he couldn't help the angry tears that slid from beneath his screwed-up eyelids.

He sat there for what could have been days, fighting the tears, until his silence was interrupted by a mocking snicker.

"Look," a girl was sneering, "ickle Sirius is all upset."

Sirius sniffed and wiped the falling tears away with the back of his hand, raising his head to see his cousins, Bellatrix and Narcissa, towering over him along with a boy he didn't know. Despite the unfamiliarity, Sirius could tell he wasn't going to like this tall, thin, blonde boy, who was scowling at him with just as much venom as the girls.

Bellatrix kneeled down to Sirius' height, her empty black eyes burning with something Sirius couldn't quite guess. Her lips curled into a vicious smile, as she cocked her head to one side and her thin black curls fell over her porcelain face.

"Are you alright, cousin?"

Sirius bit his lip, and tried to push himself up. Bellatrix pushed him back down. Her smile fell into a scowl.

"That letter was right, you know," she said, holding his head up in one hand, "you _are _scum. You and the rest of your Gryffindor lot. You are no family member of mine."

Sirius gulped, and spoke with as much bravery as he could muster. "I wouldn't want to be."

Bellatrix narrowed her eyes. "Of course not. You traitor. You're a part of everything we stand against." She dropped his head forcefully, "Make a choice, Sirius. Pick a side." She stood up, brushing her robes down and casually kicking his things all over the corridor, before looking back to Sirius over her shoulder, her eyes still sparkling oddly in the dim light.

"Choose wisely, Sirius. Pick the wrong one and I will gladly kill you, one day."

She stalked off down the corridor, flanked by Narcissa and the other boy.

This time, Sirius couldn't fight the tears.

* * *

They found him crouched against a wall somewhere in the dungeons. Where, they didn't know exactly, but nor did they care.

At least, James didn't anyway.

He stepped over Sirius' books and bag, which were hap-hazardly scattered across the corridor floor. Sirius must have heard the footsteps as his friends approached, but his face remained buried in his knees. James took it upon himself to speak first.

"Sirius?"

The shivering boy sniffed. James glanced to the others - they were as wide-eyed as him.

Sirius was _crying_?

Remus advanced close this time, sliding down the wall next to Sirius.

"Are you okay?"

Sirius' head snapped up, as he regarded Remus, James and then Peter with fiery yet teary eyes. He sniffed again.

"Course I am," he said, sarcastically, "I've been disowned by my own family. I've been made to choose between a home in the summer or the only friends I've ever known. My own cousin has just served me a death-threat - but other than that, I'm _fine_."

His head fell back to his knees. James spoke quietly. "You don't need them, mate - they're not worth it."

Sirius flicked his head up again, this time only staring to James. "You think I don't know that?!" he shouted, his voice cracking, "But they're the only family I have!"

Remus glances around to James and Peter. They both shrugged. Sirius let out a low laugh.

"Just go."

"Siri-"

"GO!"

* * *

**Review, please? **

**Seriously, if this doesn't get more reviews i'm not going to carry it on, I don't think. **

**Should I? **


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